Standard Lemma guide

incisive

adj · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɪnˈsaɪ.sɪv/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪsɪv
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N S AY1 S IH0 V Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Intelligently analytical and concise. (of a person or mental process)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Intelligently analytical and concise. (of a person or mental process)

Accurate and sharply focused. (of an account)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Quickly proceeding to judgment and forceful in expression. (of an action)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • An incisive producer, who expressed vehement disapproval with my pitch upon my first sentence.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decisive, forthright

Antonyms: none provided

4

adj

Meaning 4

Having the quality of incising, cutting, or penetrating, as with a sharp instrument; trenchant.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: sharp, acute, sarcastic, biting

Antonyms: none provided

5

adj

Meaning 5

Of or relating to the incisors.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: relational

Topics: anatomy, medicine, sciences

Examples

  • the incisive bones, the premaxillaries

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

suitable for cutting or piercing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • incisive teeth

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an acute observer of politics and politicians
  • incisive comments
  • icy knifelike reasoning
  • as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang
  • penetrating insight
  • frequent penetrative observations

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: acute, discriminating, keen, knifelike, penetrating, penetrative, piercing, sharp

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Late Middle English (in the sense “cutting, penetrating”), borrowed from Medieval Latin incīsīvus, from incīdō (“to cut in, cut through”) + -īvus (“-ive”, adjectival suffix). Compare Middle French incisif.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: проницателен (pronicatelen) — quickly proceeding to judgment
  • Catalan: incisiu — quickly proceeding to judgment
  • Finnish: suoraviivainen — quickly proceeding to judgment
  • French: incisif — quickly proceeding to judgment
  • Polish: zdecydowany — quickly proceeding to judgment
  • Spanish: incisivo — quickly proceeding to judgment
  • Chinese Mandarin: 門齒的 /门齿的 (ménchǐ de) — relating to the incisors